Former West Delaware prep Hermsen putting together good season with Beloit

BELOIT, Wis. - He's got size and savvy, solid mechanics and a knowledge of how to pitch. And B.J. Hermsen has a little bit of tunnel vision.

The Minnesota Twins minor leaguer and former West Delaware standout feigned ignorance when informed last weekend that he leads the Midwest League in victories. It's always good when you're concentrating on your next start and not your stats.

"No, I didn't know that," Hermsen said. "It's just a credit to my teammates. They go out and play great defense. Plus, they've been putting a lot of runs up there for me. A lot of run support lately. That definitely helps out."

All that might be true, but Hermsen also is being modest because he has been on a big-time roll the last two months. The 6-foot-5 right-hander has won seven of his last eight starts for the Beloit Snappers with an earned run average of 1.90 in that span.

His 11 wins lead the MWL, and his season ERA of 3.08 is just shy of cracking the league's top 10.

"He's throwing the ball well," said Beloit pitching coach Gary Lucas. "This last month, he's been really solid. He's making more pitches, both from the windup and the stretch. He's down in the zone real consistently. He's a battler out there. He doesn't give in, tries for ground balls.

"He doesn't overpower people, but I think he knows his limitations. Tries to keep the ball away for the most part and show in. He's made a ton of pitches and certainly improved. We're very happy with his progress."

Hermsen was a sixth-round draft pick of the Twins in 2008, bursting onto the prospect scene with a terrific 2009 rookie season. He threw a one-hit shutout last June against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Memorial Stadium, but his 2010 season was a mixed bag.

He was demoted from Beloit in July, ending the year with Rookie-level Elizabethton. He has been with Beloit this season since opening day.

"Just trying to figure a few things out, and I've been able to do that," Hermsen said. "I've just been trying to do what works for me. Like I said, my teammates have been helping out a lot."

The one negative with Hermsen continues to be his velocity. He threw upper-80s to 90 pretty consistently when he was in high school but his fastball has been middle to upper-80s for the most part as a pro.

He'll need to gain at least a couple of miles per hour consistently if he wants to make it to the major leagues.

"Shown flashes a little bit there," Lucas said. "Not like he wants it or what the Twins are looking for. But we've had a history of pitchers at his stage of development spike a little bit (with velocity) later on with more innings."

One thing is for sure. The kid knows how to pitch.

"I'm just taking it one day at a time and just trying to get better every day," Hermsen said. "Work towards the next start."